This Fan-Made Darth Maul Origin Story Is Better Than The Phantom Menance, As Most Things Are

In a production similar to last year’s Power Rangers “deboot,” a group of dedicated Star Wars fans have banded together to give Darth Maul — the saga’s most badass, least-defined villain — a proper origin story. The 18-minute YouTube video, written, directed, and edited by Shawn Bu, follows Darth Maul (Ben Schamma) as he faces off against a cohort of Jedi. The choreography (from Vi-Dan Tran) is particularly impressive, as are the vivid special effects. Watch a making-of video below and take comfort in the idea that, when the big studios are obsolete and we have to rely on enthusiastic YouTubers for our entertainment, it won’t all be bad how-to videos.